Thread-cutting device for work-boxes



s. I. B; OLEARY.

130R WORK BOXES.

Patented NOV. 5, 1895.

(No Model.)

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U ITED STATES PATENT QFFICE.

SARAH FLORA BELLE OLEARY, OF VVAVERLY, KANSAS.

THREAD-CUTTlNG DEVICE FOR WORK-BOXES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 549,387, dated November 5, 1895.

Application filedJ'une 24, 1895. Serial No.563,803. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SARAH FLORA BELLE OLEARY, of Waverly, Coffey county, Kansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Thread Cutting Devices for WVork-Boxes, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof.

Hy invention relates to thread-cutting devices, and is designed particularly as an improvement upon the thread-cutting device embodied in my patent for a work-box issued September 4, 1894, No. 525,509, which device has proven very unsatisfactory, owing to the fact that the thread when severed or cut almost invariably springs back out of the guideslot e ,which,continually happening, becomes very annoying to a busy person, as, comparatively speaking, in a given length of time considerable is wasted in gathering up the lost end of the thread and rethreading the device, particularly after the knob has been turned to tension and tighten the thread, as hereinafter more particularly referred to. Another and the great objection to the old device lies in the fact that there is no limit to its revoluble movement, which often causes the thread to be wound or twisted around the pivot-bolt and necessitates the removal of the knob to release it.

With the object in view of eradicating these difficulties, the invention consists in certain novel and peculiar features of construction and combinations of parts, as will be hereinafter described and claimed.

In order that the invention may be fully understood, I will proceed to describe it with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view which illustrates the construction of my improved thread-cutting device and the plate upon which it is rotatably mounted. Said figure shows three of said knobs in operative position-th'e first one in position to be threaded, the second one in position to cut the thread, and the third one in position to hold the thread tensioned or tightened. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section taken just above the surface of the plate upon which the thread-cutting devices are mounted. It also shows in dotted lines the three thread-cutting devices in the same relative position as the three cutting devices of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 represents a section taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1.

Similar numerals refer to corresponding parts in all the figures, in which 1 designates a board or plate, which may be and preferably is in the form of a lid for a work-box as embodied in my aforesaid patcut, and 2 designates a plate secured to the upper side of the same in any suitable or preferred manner, and said plate and lid are provided each with registering straight slots 3 and quadrant-shaped slots 4, communicating with the inner ends of the slots Axially of said quadrant-shaped slots the lid is provided with vertical apertures or openings 5, and communicating concentrically with said apertures or openings are the smaller holes or apertures 6 in the plate2. Between said holes 6 and said slots 4, and also extending concentrically, are the slots 7 in the plate 2, said slots 7 preferably'covering more than half a circle.

Referring now to the thread-cutting devices, it will be noticed that they are in the form of knobs or buttons 8 and are provided in their under sides with the quadrant-shaped slots 9, which are adapted at times to register with the quadrant-shaped slots 4 and are struck from the same radius. Inward of said slots 9, and upon the radius represented by the slots 7 of the plate 2, stop-pins 10 depend from said knobs or buttons, and playing in said slots 7 are adapted to limit the rotatable movement of the knobs or buttons by coming in contact with one end or the other of said slots, as will be hereinafter referred to. Said knobs or buttons are also pierced centrally to form the holes or apertures 11, registering with the holes or apertures 6, and in their upper sides are recessed, as at 12, to receive the heads of the screw-bolts 13, which extend through said registering holes or apertures 10 and 6 and are engaged at their threaded ends by retaining-nuts 14. VVashers may be interposed'between said nutsand the under side of the plate 2, if desired. The knobs or buttons in this case are concaved in their upper sides, as at 15, and at diametrically-opposite points are recessed or notched, as shown at 16 and 17, respectively. At the inner side of the notches 16 the knobs or buttons are vertically pierced to form the cylindrical holes 18, and communicating tangentially with said holes are the slots 10, which open. at the outer sides of the knobs or buttons. Secured by screw-bolts, as shown, or in any other suitable manner, externally to said knobs or buttons are the plates 20 and said plates opposite the center of the notches 1 7 are formed with the vertical cuts 21, sharpened at their edge, that thread pressed downwardly thereon may be easily severed.

Rotatably mounted below the lid 1, in the manner described and illustrated in my aforesaid patent, are spools 22, one for each threadcutt-ing device, and the number of the thread upon each spool may be engraved upon the surface of the plate 2, contiguous to the knob or button with which said spool is connected, that the person by simply glancing at said number may know the number of the thread upon the spool. These numbers, however, may be employed or not, as desired.

*hen it is desired to thread a particular euttin device, it is drawn to the position shown at A, Fig. 1, in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 2, until the pin 10 comes in contact with one end of the slot 7 and stops the rotatable movement of the knob or button. \Vhen thus disposed, the slot 19 registers with the straight portion of the slot 3 of the lid and the plate 2. The thread from the spool which projects through the registering slots of said lid and plate, is now moved laterally through the slot 19 and into the hole or aperture 18, as indicated by dotted line a, Fig. 1. The knob or button is then rotated one hundred and sixty degrees, or until the notched knife-blade registers with said slot 3. At this time the pin of said knob or button occupies the position shown in Fig. 2 in the second position 13, and the quadrant-shaped slot 9 in the bottom of said knob or button communicates with the slots 4 of the lid and plate 2. The thread in the spool extends through the slot i and the communicating slot 9, and thence up through the hole or aperture 18. The thread is now bent as indicated at a where it will be noticed that it engages with the notched knife-blade, the required length of course being first drawn from the spool, and this may be done because the thread extends loosely through the registering and communicating slots and the aperture 18. To now sever the thread it is only necessary to place the finger or thumb upon that portion of the thread which bridges the depression or cavity of the knob or button, and holding the same firmly upon the bottom of the said depression or cavity, and then giving the external portion of the thread a slight downward pull or jerk in the notched knife-blade, which easily severs it. As it is severed the spool end now springs back, as indicated at a, Fig. 1, but cannot accidentally become disengaged from the aperture or hole 18, owing to the fact that the slot 19 communicates tangentially with said aperture or hole, and therefore extends at an angle to the direction in which the thread or cotton would naturally spring. 'ith the end of the thread thus projecting it may be easily and quickly grasped when more thread from the same source or spool is desired.

If it be desired to lock the thread from any possible chance of becoming untln-eaded by the accidental rotation of the spool or otherwise, it is drawn to the position shown at either Figs. 1 or 2, and when in this position the pin 10 occupies the opposite end of the slot 7 and the slots 9 andi are some distance apart. Therefore it is obvious that the portion of the thread which extends from one end of said slot to the other occupies no groove or slot and must be clamped from accidental movement between the plate and the knob or button. It is also obvious that when it is drawn the knob tensions or tightens that portion of the thread leading to the spool. The double'headed arrow, Fig. 2, represents the extreme position which the aperture or hole 18 may occupy.

\Vhile I have shown and described the knobs and buttons provided with pins engaging slots in the plate 2, it is obvious that the slots may be formed in said kn obs or buttons and the pins may project from the plate. This would be a mere reversal of the construction as shown. By making a concave depression in the knobs or buttons it is obvious that they will be much more agreeable to the touch and the thread may be held more securely. It is obvious, also, that various slight changes in the form, proportion, and arrangement of the parts may be made without departing from the spirit and scope or sacrificing any of the advantages of my invention. I prefer to form these knobs or buttons of aluminum, which is of an attractive and agreeable color and. is light, which is a consideration when a large number are mounted upon a single work-box.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

A thread cutting device comprising a plate having a pair of slots, a knob or button mounted rotatably upon said plate and axially of one of said slots, a pin projecting from said knob or plate and engaging the curved slot of the plate; said knob or but-ton being also provided at diametrically opposite points with a knife and with a vertical hole or aperture and with a slot extending tangentially to said hole or a erture substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

SARAH FLORA BELLE OLEARY.

\Vitnesses THOMAS \YILLIAMs, A. P. REED.

ICC 

